[11/08/04 - 12:00 AM]NFL Awards CBS with Extension of Broadcast Rights to the American Football Conference

[via press release from CBS]

NFL AWARDS CBS WITH EXTENSION OF BROADCAST RIGHTS TO
THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

New Six-Year Deal Includes Two Super Bowls

NEW YORK, November 8, 2004 � The National Football League announced today that CBS, a division of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), has been awarded a rights extension to broadcast the American Football Conference (AFC). The new six-year agreement begins with the 2006 season and includes two Super Bowls (XLI, XLIV) in 2007 and 2010.

�The NFL is the pre-eminent sports franchise in television and a cornerstone of our schedule,� said Leslie Moonves, Co-President and Co-Chief Operating Officer, Viacom and Chairman, CBS. �From the ritual of Sunday afternoons to the single biggest and most prestigious event in the viewing year, one watched by more than 100 million people � the Super Bowl � nothing comes close to the excitement that the NFL has brought to our network. I�m proud to have football back on CBS for six more years and look forward to continuing our terrific partnership with the NFL.�

Thirteen of CBS�s 16 Owned stations are in NFL markets, including New York, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Denver, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, which are all AFC markets.

The CBS television negotiations were led by Moonves and Sean McManus, President of CBS Sports.

�I want to congratulate Sean and his team for their work in helping to make this important deal happen,� Moonves said. �CBS Sports is the undisputed industry leader, with top franchises like the NCAA, The Masters, U.S. Open Tennis Championship and the PGA TOUR. Retaining the NFL for another six years � with its two Super Bowls � significantly strengthens what is already the best-run operation on television.�

McManus said, �We are extremely pleased to continue our successful partnership with the NFL, the premier property in all of sports and the number one-rated franchise in all of sports television.�

CBS Sports, which first began televising NFL regular-season games in 1956, had broadcast the National Football Conference package from 1970 through 1993. The Network began televising American Football Conference games in 1998.

CBS Television is comprised of the CBS Television Network -- with more than 200 owned and affiliated stations reaching virtually every television home in the United States; the Network�s programming arms CBS Entertainment, CBS News and CBS Sports; and CBS Enterprises, a global leader in distribution.